This invention relates to a recording and/or reproducing device represented by DLT (digital linear tape) or LTO (linear tape open) and, in particular, to a head cleaner mechanism for carrying out cleaning of a magnetic head.
Recording and/or reproducing devices of the type described are developed for use in back-up ones of computer systems and various types of the recording and/or reproducing devices have been proposed in prior art. Such a recording and/or reproducing device serving as the LTO is disclosed, for example, in the patent document WO 00/30096 A1.
The recording and/or reproducing device may be also a tape drive in which a cartridge having a single reel (a supply reel) can be installed. The cartridge may be also called a cassette. The recording and/or reproducing device contains a take-up reel therein. When the cartridge is installed in the recording and/or reproducing device, a magnetic tape is pulled out of the cartridge and then is wound by the take-up reel through a tape-transport path. The tape-transport path is for guiding the magnetic tape pulled out of the cartridge in a magnetic head. The magnetic head exchanges information between the tape and the magnetic head. In addition, the take-up reel is rotationally drivable by means of a real motor.
In the manner which is disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document WO 00/30096 A1, the cartridge comprises a housing, a rotationally drivable supply reel accommodated in the housing, the magnetic tape wound onto the reel hub of the supply reel, and a coupling element which is connected to the magnetic tape in the area of the free end of the magnetic tape and which is held in a coupling position. The coupling element is also called a leader pin.
In order to enable the magnetic tape contained in the cartridge to be wound onto the take-up reel, the magnetic tape should first be brought to the take-up reel with the aid of the leader pin. For this purpose, the recording and/or reproducing device has a pull-out element. The pull-out element is adopted to be coupled to the leader pin. The pull-out element is also called a grabber.
In order to enable the grabber to be coupled to the leader pin, the recording and/or reproducing device includes retaining means adapted to detachably retain the grabber. The retaining means are movably between a standby position and an operating position. A movement of the retaining means into their operating position causes a movement of the grabber in a coupling direction and the grabber and the leader pin to be coupled. On the other hand, a movement of the retaining means out of their operating position causes a movement of the grabber in a direction opposite to the coupling direction and the grabber and the leader pin to be disengaged.
In order to enable the grabber and the leader pin, after they have been coupled, i.e. a pull-out assembly thus formed, to be moved away from the retaining means an to be moved up to the reel hub of the take-up real, the recording and/or reproducing device includes actuating means. The actuating means are simply formed by a pull-out tape. The pull-out tape is guided along the above-mentioned tape-transport path. The pull-out tape is also called a leader tape.
The leader tape has one end connected to the grabber and has its other end connected to the reel hub of the take-up reel. Thus, by driving the take-up reel in a taking-up direction by a reel motor, the pull-out assembly can be moved away from the retaining means and up to the reel hub of the take-up reel with the aid of the leader tape which is simple in structure. At the reel hub, the pull-out assembly are brought to each other.
In the manner which is described above, the above-mentioned patent document WO 00/30096 A1 discloses the recording and/or reproducing device (the tape drive) employing the leader tape.
On the other hand, another recording and/or reproducing device employing a pantocam arm in lieu of the leader tape is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,211 to Chliwnyj et al., entitled: “Oscillating Magnetic Head and Stationary Brush Cleaning Apparatus.”According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,211, the recording and/or reproducing device employs a pantocam arm which carries a leader pin for capturing a leader block, which is attached to the magnetic tape to be processed. After capturing the leader block, the pantocam arm swings the leader block around an arcuate tape guide and then lodges the leader block in a reel. When the reel is rotated, the magnetic tape moves adjacent to the magnetic head, which is located intermediate the tape guide. After the magnetic tape is processed, a supply reel in the cartridge returns the magnetic tape to the cartridge and the pantocam arm delivers the leader block to the cartridge, where it is released.
In such a recording and/or reproducing device, it is important to periodically clean out dirt on a surface of the magnetic head to obtain stable outputs of recording/reproducing. Therefore, the recording and/or reproducing device comprises a head cleaning mechanism. Inasmuch as the head cleaning mechanism removes the dirt on the surface of the magnetic head, a position relationship between both is important.
Chliwnyj et al. discloses a “magnetic tape drive” comprising a cleaning apparatus for cleaning the air bearing surface of a magnetic head of the magnetic tape drive by employing components of an actuator for oscillating the magnetic head against bristles of brush assembly. In the magnetic tape drive according to Chliwnyj at al., circuitry is provided which senses the appropriate time to commence the cleaning action and continues the cleaning action for an appropriate duration when the magnetic tape is off the magnetic head. The circuitry causes the actuator to move the magnetic head in oscillatory motion against stationary bristles of a brush assembly which are selectively brought into engagement with the magnetic head. The engagement and disengagement of the bristles with respect to the magnetic head are implemented by a lever arm which has camming surface which are engageable with a leader pin which moves a leader block and magnetic tape about a guide and across the magnetic head.
A further recording and/or reproducing device employing a threader arm in lieu of the leader tape is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 11-328635 (JP-A 11-3286351). JP-A 11-328635 discloses a “magnetic tape apparatus” which intends to be simple in structure and to enhance the reliability to the cleaning operation. The magnetic tape apparatus disclosed in JP-A 11-328635 includes a magnetic head having a read track position adjustment means and a brush which comes in touch with the magnetic head when the magnetic tape is not loaded and which opens a travel path for the magnetic tape when the magnetic tape is loaded. When the magnetic tape is not loaded, the magnetic head is driven by the read track position adjustment means, so that the magnetic head is cleaned.
In the recording and/or reproducing devices without employing the leader tape as disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,211 or the above-mentioned JP-A 11-328635, it is possible to arrange a cleaning brush so as to face the cleaning brush to the magnetic head with a running path of the magnetic tape put therebetween because there is no leader tape. Therefore, it is possible to easily carry out positioning of the cleaning brush with respect to the magnetic head.
However, in the recording and/or reproducing device employing the leader tape as disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document WO 00/30096 A1, it is impossible to arrange the cleaning brush so as to face the cleaning brush to the magnetic head. This is because the leader tape is between the takeup reel and the retaining means. Therefore, in order to drive the cleaning brush, a brush driving mechanism requires a lot of parts which operate when interlocked with a driving source. As a result, in order to accurately position the cleaning brush with respect to the magnetic head, it is necessary to improve accuracy in each part and to make a width of the cleaning brush larger. Accordingly, the conventional brush driving mechanism is disadvantageous in that it drives up costs and it takes up space for the placement of the parts.
In addition, it is necessary to hold and fix the cleaning brush to be stable during cleaning of the magnetic head after positioning the cleaning brush with respect to the magnetic head.